Cherry and chocolate decadence

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and National Cherry Month with a luscious duo

Cherries and chocolate are a classic combination. Treats like black forest cake, cherry bon bons—and even simple chocolate covered cherries—are the epitome of dessert indulgence as the sweet, tart fruit complements smooth, rich chocolate.

Cherries also are nutritious. The small stone fruit is rich in antioxidants, fiber and vitamins A, C and K, as well as potassium, magnesium, calcium and choline. Adding cherries or cherry products like juice to your diet can promote heart health and help reduce inflammation and may even aid in exercise recovery.

There are two main types of cherries: sweet and tart, and there are several varieties of each. And while most cherries in the U.S. are grown in the Great Lakes region and on the West Coast, many Virginia orchards cultivate cherry trees. According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, 139 Virginia farms grew sweet cherries on 112 acres, and 67 farms grew tart cherries on 24 acres in 2017.

Cherry Bonbon Cookies

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

½ cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 large egg

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons cherry flavoring, optional 48 fresh sweet cherries, pitted

6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.

Combine flour and cocoa, and set aside. With electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and baking powder until blended. Add egg, vanilla and cherry flavoring, and beat until well-combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Shape dough into 1” balls, and place the balls ½” apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

In the center of each ball, press down with your thumb to create a small hollow, and fill each center with a cherry.

In a small pan over low heat, combine chocolate chips and condensed milk, and heat until the chocolate is melted. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture over each cherry, spreading to cover the cherry.

Bake 10- 12 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven, and place cookies on wire racks to cool.

—Recipe adapted from Northwest Cherry Growers, Washington State Fruit Commission

Black Forest Mousse-Trifle

Ingredients

1½ cups cold milk

4-serving package of instant chocolate pudding and pie filling

8-ounce tub of frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed and divided

12 chocolate sandwich cookies, divided

1½ cups canned cherry pie filling fresh sweet cherries for topping, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, mix milk with the pudding mix, and beat for 2 minutes or until well-blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Coarsely crush six cookies, and stir into the pudding mixture. Spoon half of the pudding mixture into a 1½-quart serving bowl. Spread 1 cup of the remaining whipped topping over the pudding mixture. Top with 1 cup of cherry pie filling, the remaining pudding mixture, remaining whipped topping and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Crush the remaining six cookies and sprinkle on top of the dessert. Add fresh cherries, if using.

—Recipe adapted from Bring it to the Table, the Surprising Southeast Virginia Farm Bureau Women

Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered

Cherries

Ingredients

2 10-ounce jars of maraschino cherries with stem, or about 40 pitted fresh sweet cherries

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

24 ounces chocolate bark coating

Directions

If using maraschino cherries, drain cherries but leave the stems intact.

In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter and sugar until thoroughly combined. Flatten one tablespoon of peanut butter mixture into a 2”-diameter disc. Lay a cherry on top of the peanut butter disc, with the stem pointing up, and work the dough up around the cherry so that the cherry is completely coated.

Place each enrobed cherry on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper, and freeze for about 5 minutes to chill slightly.

While the cherries chill, melt the chocolate according to the package directions. Dip cherries one at a time in the melted chocolate, and allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Place each in a paper candy cup and allow to cool until chocolate is firm.

—Recipe adapted from Virginia-Carolinas Peanut Promotion